deSol

DeSoL's danceable, upbeat and Latin-flavored musical mixings have caught the attention of a major label.

The Asbury Park, NJ-based band was signed to Curb/Warner Bros. Records last summer after label representatives saw the band at its home base in New York City, The Bitter End.

DeSoL's CD is nearing completion and a spring release is expected, percussionist Armando Cabrera said. After that, deSoL will work on getting radio play for its first single, which will most likely be "Spin Around," he said.

The release will be made up of pre-recorded re-released demo material and four new songs.

"It's pretty exciting that the record will be coming out in the spring and we're excited to make more new music," Cabrera said.

Determination and experience equated to deSoL's success, he said.

"All of the guys are mature and everyone works," he said. "We don't sit around and wait for people to work for us."

The band's representation, which includes Randex Communications for public relations and PGA booking (REM, The Wailers), also contributed to it reaching the level it did, he said.

The band recently toured with the Wailers stopping in cities like Baltimore, Maryland and stops in New York and New Jersey to play for crowds of over 1,000 people. The band's music has caused feet to move in the local scene and now, with the major-label record deal, there's a chance of that reaction infectiously spreading throughout the world.

In the near future, deSoL will set its sights on playing more east coast locations, starting in New York and Philadelphia, PA, and moving outward to places like Miami, FL and Vermont.

Each new venue yields the challenge of playing before unfamiliar crowds, which respond well to the band, Cabrera said.

"At the end of the night, they say: 'You guys have an interesting twist,'" he said.

DeSoL, which has been together over two years, played its first gig at Kenny's Castaway in New York City, later moving to festivals and establishments in New York, and New Jersey venues such as Nova Terra in New Brunswick.

"(Nova Terra) was the first Latin community that we were exposed to," said Cabrera. The band has an eclectic style, not only based on Latin music, but all the different pieces of the musical spectrum that the band hears, Cabrera said.

A deSoL song takes its listener's eardrums on a trip displaying musical styles from around the world.

Albie Monterrosa, the band's singer and guitar player, adds his rock and pop knowledge to the mix, while Cabrera said he and other band members add the Latin rhythms. Monterrosa taught Cabrera about rock and pop and the two fused their styles together. The entire band collaborates all of its styles, which also include jazz and classical.

"We're really not a Latin band," Cabrera said. "We have a rock head with Latin soul."

Monterossa writes most of deSoL's words and lyrical melody lines.

However, the band does take part in writing lyrics and there is plenty of instrumental collaboration.

"Right now, it's a big collaboration ... It's grown together and everybody has their say. We've been together a couple of years, so we know what everybody brings to the table," Cabrera said.

Bands like Santana have opened doors for ones of similar musical styles such as deSoL, Cabrera said.

"Ruben Blades was a big influence on me because of his songwriting and how he was able to mix world music the way he did, and, obviously, Santana, too," he said. "The thing we are able to do is bring this out to the world and hopefully Santana will help us do that," he said.

[ Website: www.desolmusic.com ]